Portable electronic device with battery cover

ABSTRACT

A portable electronic device includes a base defining a chamber, a cover, an operating element, a latching element, and a resisting element. The cover is configured for covering the chamber and rotatably attached to the base. The latching element attaches to the cover. The resisting element attaches to one end of the base. The operating element is slidably attached to the base. The resisting element resists the latching element to force the cover to separate when detaching.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to a co-pending U.S. Patent Application(Attorney Docket No. US30932) entitled “PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITHBATTERY COVER”, by SHI-XU LIANG. Such application has the same assigneeas the present application and has been concurrently filed herewith. Theabove-identified application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The exemplary disclosure generally relates to electronic devices, andparticularly to a portable electronic device with a latching batterycover.

2. Description of related art

Batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices, such aspersonal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and so on. Often,batteries are attachably received in the electronic device, and batterycovers provided to connect with housings of the electronic devices tosecure the batteries. Batteries are replaced by opening the batterycovers when, for example, the batteries are damaged and/or dead and/orno longer rechargeable.

Although battery cover assemblies may be simple, the engagement betweenthe battery cover and the housing of the mobile phone can be too strongto allow easly detachment thereof.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with referenceto the following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the portable electronic devicewith a latching battery cover. Moreover, in the drawings, like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of aportable electronic device;

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing one portion of a base of the portableelectronic device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the latching module in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, but viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing the latching element to be attachedto the battery cover ;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view showing the operating element and theresisting elements attached to the base;

FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8, but viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view showing the portable electronic device in aclosed state; and

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10, but showing the portable electronicdevice in an open state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way oflimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements. It should be noted that referencesto “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily tothe same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exemplary embodiment of a portable electronicdevice 100. The portable electronic device 100 includes a base 10, alatching module 30, and a removable cover 50. The base 10 has a firstsurface 11 and a second surface 12 opposite to the first surface 11. Thebase 10 defines a chamber 111 in the first surface 11 to receive abattery (not shown). The chamber 111 is surrounded by sidewalls 115, afirst end wall 117, and a second end wall 119 opposite to the first endwall 117. The cover 50 covers the chamber 111 to secure the battery inthe chamber 111 and the cover 50 is retained in position by the latchingmodule 30. Each of the two sidewalls 115 defines an opening 1151adjacent to the second end wall 119. The first end wall 117 defines twospaced-apart apertures 1171.

Referring to FIG. 3, the base 10 defines a through hole 131 and forms asupporting wall 132 that defines an end of the chamber 111. Thesupporting wall 132 defines a receiving hole 1321. The receiving hole1321 allows the through hole 131 to communicate with the chamber 111.The supporting wall 132 defines two grooves 133 and forms two posts1331, one post 1331 is received in each corresponding groove 133. Thebase 10 defines a space 134 communicating with the through hole 131 asshown in FIG. 4. Two positioning portions 14 extend upwards from abottom surface of the space 134. Each positioning portion 14 has a rib141 adjacent to the through hole 131, and two blocks 143. Each rib 141defines a cutout 1411. A slot 1431 is defined between the blocks 143.

The latching module 30 includes an operating element 31, an elasticelement 33, a latching element 35, and two resisting elements 37. Theoperating element 31 has a pressing protrusion 3111 formed on onesurface for pressing, e.g., by a finger, and a curved groove 3151defined in the opposite surface. Two sidewalls of the curved groove 3151have a plurality of spaced projections 3153 (shown in FIG. 6) forpositioning the elastic element 33. The operating element 31 defines twospaced notches 3131 in a sidewall, and a latching protrusion 3133 formedbetween the two notches 3131. A width of the latching protrusion 3133 isapproximately the same as that of the receiving hole 1321.

Referring to FIG. 6, the elastic element 33 is received in the curvedgroove 3151. Each end of the elastic element 33 is received in one ofthe corresponding slots 1431. The latching element 35 includes a frame351. A flange 353 extends from and perpendicular to one end of the frame351, and two spaced-apart first latching arms 355 extend from the otherend of the frame 351. Each first latching arm 355 is received in one ofthe corresponding apertures 1171. The flange 353 defines a latching hole3531 that receive the latching protrusion 3133 of the latching element31. Two sides of the frame 351 each extend a second latching arm 357 tobe received in the corresponding opening 1151.

Referring back to FIG. 5, each resisting element 37 includes a tab 371and a resilient sheet 373 extending from the tab 371. Each tab 371defines a positioning hole 3711 through which a corresponding post 1331passes.

During assembly of the portable electronic device 100, the latchingelement 35 is fixed to the cover 50, as shown in FIG. 7. In theexemplary embodiment, the latching element 35 is fixed to the cover 50by laser melting. The resisting elements 37 are each attached to thebase 10 such that each post 1331 is received in its correspondingpositioning hole 3711, as shown in FIG. 8. The operating element 31 isreceived in the through hole 131. Elastic element 33 is received in thecurved groove 3151 and the ends of the elastic element 33 are receivedin the slot 1431 such that the latching protrusion 3133 is slidablyreceived in the receiving hole 1321 and extends into the chamber 111 asshown in FIG. 9.

The first latching arms 355 are received in the corresponding apertures1171, and bias the cover 50, such that the flange 353 of the latchingelement 35 abuts the latching protrusion 3133 to bias the operatingelement 35 away from the chamber 111, and the operating element 35resists and deforms the elastic element 33. When the cover 30 attachesto the base 10, the latching protrusion 3133 is received in the latchinghole 3531 by the elastic force of the elastic element 33, and the secondlatching arms 357 each are received in their corresponding openings1151. The resilient sheet 373 of the resisting elements 37 resists theflange 353, such that the portable electronic device 100 is assembled,as shown in FIG. 10.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the cover 40 is to be removed, e.g., when thebattery is to be changed, the protrusion 311 is pressed to move theoperating element 31 away from the cover 50. The operating element 31abuts and deforms the elastic element 33, and latching protrusion 3133separates from the latching hole 3531. The elastic force of theresilient sheets 373 of the resisting element 37 biases the cover 50away from the base 10, and the operating element 31 returns to itsnormal state by the elastic force of the elastic element 33.

It is notable that the number of resisting elements 37 is not limited totwo, and elastic element 33 can be attached to the operating element 31using a through hole or formed integrally by insert-molding.Furthermore, the distal end of the cover 50 from the operating element31 can be rotatably attached to the base 10 by a hinge or pin.

Resisting element 37 of the portable electronic device 100 resists thelatching element 35 to separate the cover 50, for fast and easy removalthereof.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

1. A portable electronic device comprising: a base defining a chamber toreceive a battery; a cover covering the chamber and detachably attachedto the base; a latching module comprising an operating element slidablyattached to the base, a latching element attached to the cover, aresisting element attached to the base, and the resisting elementconfigured for causing the latching element to move the cover toseparate from the base when detaching.
 2. The portable electronic deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the resisting element includes a tabdefining a positioning hole and a resilient sheet extending from thetab, the resisting element attaches to the base by the positioning hole,the resilient sheet elastically resists the latching element.
 3. Theportable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basedefines a through hole and forms a supporting wall defining a receivinghole, the through hole communicates with the chamber by the receivinghole, the operating element forms a latching protrusion, and thelatching element has a flange defining a latching hole, the latchingprotrusion passes through the receiving hole and is received in thelatching hole.
 4. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1,further comprising an elastic element, wherein the elastic elementattaches to the operating element and is fixed in the base, the elasticelement biases the operating element toward selectively latching withthe latching element or separating therefrom.
 5. The portable electronicdevice as claimed in claim 4, wherein, the operating element defines acurved groove, in which the elastic element is received.
 6. The portableelectronic device as claimed in claim 5, the base further forming twopositioning portions each comprising a rib adjacent to the through holeand a block defining a slot, wherein each rib defines a cutout, theelastic element is received in the slots and the cutouts.
 7. Theportable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latchingelement forms two first latching arms and two second latching arms, thebase defines two openings and two apertures, each of the first latchingarms is received a the corresponding aperture, each of the secondlatching arms is received in a corresponding opening.
 8. A portableelectronic device comprising: a base defining a chamber; and a covercovering the chamber and rotatably attached to the base; wherein theportable electronic device further comprises an operating element, alatching element attached to the cover, and a resisting element attachedto one end of the base, the operating element is slidably attached tothe base, and the resisting element causes the latching element to forcethe cover to separate when detaching.
 9. The portable electronic deviceas claimed in claim 8, wherein the resisting element includes a tabdefining a positioning hole and a resilient sheet extending from thetab, the resisting element attaching to the base by the positioninghole, and the resilient sheet elastic resisting the latching element.10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein thebase defines a through hole and forms a supporting wall defining areceiving hole, the through hole communicates with the chamber by thereceiving hole, the operating element forms a latching protrusion, thelatching element comprises a flange defining a latching hole, thelatching protrusion penetrates the receiving hole and is received in thelatching hole.
 11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8,further comprising an elastic element attached to the operating elementand fixed in the base, forcing the operating element to selectivelylatch with the latching element or separate therefrom.
 12. The portableelectronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the operating elementdefines a curved groove in which the elastic element is received. 13.The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the basefurther forms two spaced positioning portions, each comprising a ribadjacent to the through hole and a block defining a slot, each ribdefining a cutout wherein the elastic element is received in the slotsand the cutouts.
 14. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim8, wherein the latching element forms two spaced latching arms, the basedefines two openings, and each the latching arm is received in acorresponding aperture.